Belt spindle-driving mechanism



y 8, 1964 2. SZALOKI 3,142,146

BELT SPINDLE-DRIVING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 30. 1961 FIG 'INVENTOR. ZOLTAN SZALOKI his rm/mars g United States Patent 3,142,146 BELT SPINDLE-DRIVING MECHANISM Zoltan Szaloki, Whitinsville, Mass., assignor to Whitin Machine Works, Whitinsville, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Nov. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 156,096 5 Claims. (Cl. 57-105) This invention relates to spindle-driving mechanisms and, more particularly, to a novel and highly efiective spindle-driving mechanism for use on spinning and twisting machines.

Spinning and twisting machines are employed in the textile industry to build packages of yarn on spindles. Yarn is initially fed in any suitable manner (by hand, for example) from a supply source such as rovings in a creel through a device such as a traveler on a spinning ring and secured to a rotatable spindle which extends through the spinning ring. The spinning ring is large enough to leave a space around the spindle for the formation of a package of yarn. The spindle is then rotated rapidly to Wind on the yarn, and simultaneously, a relative reciprocating motion or traverse parallel to the spindle axis is established between the spinning ring and the spindle. In practice, a number of such spindles are disposed in two rows, one on each of two spindle rails on opposite sides of the machine, and an equal number of spinning rings corresponding to the spindles in position are likewise disposed in two rows, one on each of two ring rails on opposite sides of the machine.

The means employed to rotate the spindles is generally a tape trained about a drive drum or pulley and a portion of each of several spindles. The drive pulley is mounted on a stationary frame, and, as the spindle rails reciprocate relatively to the frame, the tape must alternately be taken in and let out so that it will be maintained at a substantially uniform tension.

Means for accomplishing this typically comprise upper and lower shafts mounted in bearings stationary with respect to the frame and supporting the drive pulley and a lower balancing pulley, respectively, and upper and lower sets of idler tension pulleys held translationally stationary with respect to the spindle rail, the tape being trained about all of the pulleys and two or more spindles so that, as the tape is taken up on either the upper or the lower set of pulleys, it is let out on the other. However, because such a structure is duplicate and hence relatively complicated and expensive and because lint and fly tend to accumulate under the frame in the vicinity of the lower set of pulleys, conventional spindle-driving mechanisms have not proved entirely satisfactory.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a spindle-driving mechanism embodying a novel tensioning device adapted to solve the problems outlined above. It is another object of the invention to provide a tape-tensioning device from which the lower idler tension pulleys and the lower shaft and balancing pulley may be eliminated and which minimizes the accumulation of lint and fly under the frame.

These and other objects are accomplished by providing, in an exemplary embodiment of the invention, novel lever means pivotable but translationally stationary with respect to a cross girt connecting two spindle rails disposed on opposite sides of a spinning or twisting machine, pulley means mounted on the lever means, and gravity-operated biasing means for urging the pulley means against a drive tape, whereby the tape is maintained under substantially uniform tension during all phases of successive traverse cycles.

For an understanding of further particulars of the invention, reference is made to the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment thereof and to the accompanying figures in the drawing, of which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary and partly-sectional view in end elevation of a spinning or twisting machine having a spindle-driving mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention; and

FIGURE 2 is similar to FIGURE 1 but shows the apparatus at a different phase of a traverse cycle.

The reference numeral 10 (FIGURE 1) indicates a spinning or twisting machine having an end frame 10a which supports traverse pulleys 11 and 12. Traverse cables 13 and 14 respectively trained about the traverse pulleys 11 and 12 have ends 15 and 16, respectively, aflixed to a cross girt 17 rigidly connecting spindle rails 17a and 17b which extend into the plane of the figure on opposite sides of the machine 10 and ends 19 and 20, respectively, aflixed to a cross girt 21 rigidly connecting ring rails 21a and 21b which likewise extend into the plane of the figure on opposite sides of the machine 10.

The traverse pulleys 11 and 12 are rotatable in either of two directions as indicated by the arrows. When the pulleys 11 and 12 are rotated, a relative reciprocating motion or traverse of the spindle rails 17a and 17b with respect to the ring rails 21a and 21b is established. In the device shown, both the spindle rails 17a and 17b and the ring rails 21a and 21b reciprocate with respect to the frame 10a. However, in some spinning and twisting machines only the spindle rails 17a and 17b and in others only the ring rails 21a and 21b are movable with respect to the frame 10a. In any case, a relative traverse motion is established between the spindle rails 17a and 17b on the one hand and the ring rails 21a and 21b on the other, and a package of yarn is built on each of several spindles such as the spindles 23 and 24.

The shape of the packages is controlled by the traverse motion, which is typically variable in a predetermined fashion. Builder apparatus for controlling the traverse by, for example, controlling the rotation of the traverse pulleys 11 and 12, are Well known and need not be described here.

The spindles 23 and 24 are rotated by means of a flexible driving member such as a belt or tape 25 passed about whirls or portions 27 and 28 of the spindles 23 and 24, respectively. Collars 29 and 30 on the spindle 23 and 31 and 32 on the spindle 24 may be employed to prevent wander of the tape longitudinally of the spindles 23 and 24. The tape 25 is trained about a drive pulley, drum or cylinder 34 which is made to rotate in a conventional manner in either of the directions indicated by the arrow. The drive pulley 34 is rigidly mounted on and stationary with respect to the frame 10a. It is obvious that, as the spindle rails 17a and 17b rise with respect to the frame 10a, some means must be provided for taking up the slack which tends to develop in the tape 25. Similarly, as the spindle rails 17a and 17b fall, means must be provided for letting out a length of tape. Further, inasmuch as the tape 25 is run at great speed and is subject to rapid acceleration and deceleration, means must be provided for resiliently tensioning the tape even on machines in which the spindle rails do not reciprocate relatively to the drive pulley.

In accordance with the invention, the spindle-driving mechanism is equipped for this purpose with a novel tensioning device indicated generally by the reference numeral 35. The tensioning device 35 is shown mounted on a support such as downwardly-projecting ears 37 and 38 rigidly afiixed to the cross girt 17 at spaced-apart points thereof and comprises force-transmitting means such as. first and second lever means 39 and 40 mounting tapetraining means such as idler tension pulleys 41 and 42, respectively. The idler tension pulleys 41 and 42 are adapted in a manner hereinafter explained to exert a continuous tensioning force against the tape 25, thereby maintaining the tape 25 under constant tension during all phases of successive transverse cycles.

The lever 39 is pivotally connected to the car 37 by a stud or similar connecting means 43, and the lever 46 is pivotally connected to the ear 38 by a stud or similar connecting means 44. The lever 39 has an arm 45 extending from the stud 43 to an axle 46 which rotatably carries .the idler tension pulley 41 and an arm 47 extending at an angle of, say 60 with respect to the arm 45.

The end of the arm 47 opposite the stud 43 is biturcated, having a finger 49 to which is attached a biasing means such as a weight 50 adapted to urge the lever 39 in a clockwise direction as seen in FIGURES 1 and 2. The weight 50 may have a value selected with due regard for the number and size of the spindles to be turned, for their desired rotational speed, and for the other variables which workmen skilled in the art take into consideration in determining proper tape tension. Releasable locking means 59a facilitates the addition and removal of weights. A finger 51 on the arm 47 forms a rotational-force-transmitting connection 53 with the lever 40 by means of a stud or roller 54 which passes through an elongated slot 55 formed in an arm 56 of the lever 40 at the end of the arm opposite the stud 44. The slot 55 and stud or roller 54 form a species of cam and cam-follower. An extension of the axis of elongation of the slot 55 may pass substantially through the stud 44, and the arm s may be curved or bowed to make room for the weight 50 when the spindle rails 17a and 17!) are elevated as in FIGURE 1. The slot 55 and pulley 42 may form an angle with each other about the stud 44 of about 90.

An arm 58 extending from the stud 44 is provided at the end of the arm opposite the stud 44 with an axle 60 on which the idler tension pulley 42 is rotatably mounted.

The operation of the tape-tensioning device will now be apparent to workmen skilled in the art. When the cross girt 17 is moving toward its upper position (FIG- URE 1), the levers 39 and 4t) pivot clockwise and counterclockwise, respectively, under the urging of the weight 50, to take up slack which would otherwise have developed in the tape 25. When the cross girt 17 is moving toward its lower position (FIGURE 2), the levers 39 and 4th pivot counterclockwise and clockwise, respectively, against the urging of the weight 59 to pay out tape. For positions of the cross girt 17 intermediate the positions shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, the orientations of the levers 39 and 40 are likewise intermediate those shown in the figures. As such points, the stud or roller 54 slides or rolls to the right (as seen in the figures) of the slot 55. At all times, the weight 5% urges the levers 39 and 40 clockwise and counterclockwise, respectively, to maintain the tape under substantially uniform tension.

Thus, there is provided in accordance with the invention a spindle-driving mechanism embodying a novel and highly efiective tape-tensioning apparatus which makes possible the elimination of the lower idler tension pulleys and lower shaft and balancing pulley employed in conventional apparatus. Further, apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention minimizes the accumulation of lint and fly under the frame and facilitates cleaning of the area formerly occupied by the lower idler tension pulleys and the lower shaft and balancing pulley.

Many modifications of the apparatus of the invention will readily occur to workmen skilled in the art. For example, while the biasing means is shown as a weight 50, a spring or other device may be employed. Also, while each of the lever means 3% and 463 is shown in the figures as being pivotable, the connection 53 may be broken and the lever means 40 held rotationally stationary the lever means 3 pivoting along (through an angle greater than that which is required when both of the lever means 39 and 40 are pivotable) to maintain the tape under proper tension. Further, while the lever means 39 and 4t) are illustrated as transmitting the force exerted by the weight 50 to the idler tension pulleys 41 and 42, discs or other apparatus could be employed. Accordingly, the invention is to be construed as including all of the modifications which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A tape-tensioning device comprising a support, first and second lever means pivotally connected to first and second points on said support, respectively, first and second pulley means respectively mounted on said first and second lever means, a tape trained about said first and second pulley means, cam and cam-follower means forming a r0tational-force-transmitting connection between said first and second lever means, and biasing means mounted on at least one of said first and second lever means for applying oppositely-directed torques to said first and second lever means, whereby said tape is maintained under tension.

2. In a textile machine having a frame, a ring rail connected to said frame, a spindle rail connected to said frame, means connected to said frame for establishing a relative traverse motion between said ring rail and said spindle rail, at least one spindle rotatably mounted on said spindle rail, a tape trained about a portion of said spindle, and a drive pulley connected to said tape for driving said tape to rotate said spindle, a tape-tensioning device comprising first and second lever means pivotally connected to first and second points on said frame, respectively,

first and second pulley means respectively mounted on said first and second lever means, said tape being trained about said first pulley means, said drive pulley, and said second pulley means,

cam and cam-follower means forming a rotationalforce-transmitting connection between said first and second lever means, and

biasing means attached to at least one of said first and second lever means for applying oppositely-directed torques to said first and second lever means, whereby said tape is maintained under tension.

3. A textile machine having a frame, a ring rail connected to said frame, a spindle rail connected to said frame, a cross girt rigidly connected to said spindle rail, means connected to said spindle rail for establishing a traverse motion of said spindle rail with respect to said ring rail, at least one spindle rotatably mounted on said spindle rail, a tape trained about a portion of said spindle, a drive pulley connected to said tape for driving said tape to rotate said spindle, first and second lever means each pivotally connected to said cross girt, first and second pulley means respectively mounted on said first and second lever means, said tape being trained about said first pulley means, said drive pulley and said second pulley means in that order, and gravity-operated biasing means mounted on at least one of said first and second lever means for urging said first and second pulley means against said tape, whereby said tape is maintained under tension.

4. A textile machine having a frame, at least two ring rails connected to said frame, at least two spindle rails connected to said frame, a cross grit rigidly connecting said two spindle rails, means connected to said spindle rails for establishing a traverse motion of said spindle rails with respect to said ring rails, at least one spindle rotatably mounted on each of said spindle rails, a tape means forming a rotational-force-transmitting connection between said first and second lever means, and biasing means mounted on at least one of said first and second lever means for applying oppositely-directed torques to said first and second lever means, whereby said tape is maintained under tension.

5. A textile machine having a frame, at least two horizontal ring rails connected to said frame, at least two horizontal spindle rails connected to said frame, a cross girt rigidly connecting said two horizontal spindle rails, means connected to said spindle rails for establishing a vertical traverse motion of said spindle rails with respect to said ring rails, at least one vertically-disposed spindle rotatably mounted on each of said spindle rails, a tape trained about a portion of each of said spindles, a drive pulley connected to said tape for driving said tape to rotate said spindles, said drive pulley being mounted on said frame and having at least a part thereof disposed above said ring rails and said spindle rails, first and second lever means pivotally connected to first and second points on said cross girt, respectively, first and second pulley means respectively mounted on said first and second lever means, at

least a part of said first and second pulley means being below at least a part of said drive pulley and said tape being trained about said first pulley means, said drive pulley, and said second pulley means in that order, means forming a rotational-force-transrnitting connection between said first and second lever means, a weight mounted on said first lever means for applying oppositelydirected torques to said first and second lever means, said weight and said first pulley means being angularly spaced apart from each other about said first point by about and said r0tational-force-transmitting connection and said second pulley means being angularly spaced apart from each other about said second point by about References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,820,310 Kooistra Aug. 25, 1931 1,869,692 Horner Aug. 2, 1932 1,934,654 Banfield Nov. 7, 1933 2,519,769 Kooistra Aug. 22, 1950 2,655,782 Cutler Oct. 20, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent N00 3 l42,l46 July 28 1964 corrected below.

Column 3 line 50,, for "'As" read At line 73 for "along" read alone column 4. line 63 for "grit" read girt Signed and sealed this 24th day of November 1964,

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER P EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer I Commissioner of Patents 

1. A TAPE-TENSIONING DEVICE COMPRISING A SUPPORT, FIRST AND SECOND LEVER MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO FIRST AND SECOND POINTS ON SAID SUPPORT, RESPECTIVELY, FIRST AND SECOND PULLEY MEANS RESPECTIVELY MOUNTED ON SAID FIRST AND SECOND LEVER MEANS, A TAPE TRAINED ABOUT SAID FIRST AND SECOND PULLEY MEANS, CAM AND CAM-FOLLOWER MEANS FORMING A ROTATIONAL-FORCE-TRANSMITTING CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND LEVER MEANS, AND BIASING MEANS MOUNTED ON AT LEAST ONE OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND LEVER MEANS FOR APPLYING OPPOSITELY-DIRECTED TORQUES TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND LEVER MEANS, WHEREBY SAID TAPE IS MAINTAINED UNDER TENSION. 